SUMMARY
- The 2024 Australian Open has become a venue for many players to stage a comeback.
- Numerous players have returned to the tour after a maternity break.
The 2024 Australian Open has seen the return of a few former stars on the WTA tour. The opening round matches have begun and will go on till the 16th of January. The new schedule at the event allows players to spend time on recovery for their upcoming matches. Along with the return of a few players, there have been an increasing number of mothers on the tour who are playing in Melbourne.
Naomi Osaka’s arrival on the tour was the most awaited. She played her first match in more than a year at Brisbane this month. Osaka won her first comeback match and lost in the next one. She gave birth to her daughter, Shai, in July last season. After her maternity, Osaka did not take much time to get back on the courts for practice. She mentioned playing more matches this season.
Well that was a cool little intermission, now back to your regularly scheduled program 🎾✌🏾💕 pic.twitter.com/M6jZXqbRMm
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) July 13, 2023
The former world No.1 has been a champion twice at the Australian Open. Osaka faced tough competition against Caroline Garcia in the opening round. Garcia was defeated in straight sets in their only meeting on tour at Melbourne in 2021. But this time, it will be Garcia won in two sets against the Japanese.
Elina Svitolina
It isn’t easy to survive on the tour after a maternity break, but Elina Svitolina has been doing things differently. She did not compete on the tour from March 2022 to April 2023. Even after stepping away from the competitive zone for 12 months, Svitolina did not take time to get back on form. She became a parent in October 2022 with the arrival of her daughter, Skai.
At the start of the day, Elina Svitolina was holding her daughter Skaï.
Later in the day, she was fiercely cheering on Gael Monfils as he won his 1st title as a dad.
Mother. Wife. Tennis player.
Elina does it all. 🍼👰♀️🎾 pic.twitter.com/R15wiKBmRd
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 22, 2023
Svitolina started playing on the WTA in six months and won a WTA 500 title in May. The Ukrainian went on to reach the quarterfinals at the French Open and the semifinals at Wimbledon. It was her best finish at Wimbledon, and she defeated Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals. Svitolina reached the second round at this year’s Australian Open and will now play against Viktoriya Tomova.
Angelique Kerber
It is the 59th time that Angelique Kerber is featuring in the main draw of a grand slam. She made her debut at the big stage in 2007 at the French Open. She had announced a break from the sport a few days before the 2022 US Open. Kerber became a mother to a baby girl, Liana, in February last year. The former world No.1 did not play a match for 17 months and returned to tour this year.
Happy Mother‘s Day ❤️ pic.twitter.com/WG2373Unqj
— Angelique Kerber (@AngeliqueKerber) May 14, 2023
Kerber played five matches at the United Cup and won one match. The 35-year-old won her first grand slam in 2016 while beating Serena Williams in the final. The German is the third-oldest player in the women’s draw this year. Kerber will play Danielle Collins in the first round at Melbourne. It will be the third meeting between the pair, and both share a win against each other.
Caroline Wozniacki
The 2008 Australian Open saw 18-year-old Caroline Wozniacki making her debut at the event. She went on to reach the fourth round while losing to Ana Ivanovic in straight sets. A decade later, Wozniacki won the title at Melbourne by beating the then world No.1 Simona Halep in the final. The Danish player took a break from the sport for a few later.
Amazing day at the @aucklandzoo with the kiddos! We got to see and touch the Kiwis that will be put back in to the world safely, when they are big and strong enough! We fed the giraffes, talked with the parrot’s, and saw the closest thing to a dinosaur! Happy day all around! 😍 pic.twitter.com/lWBj6d8H6O
— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) December 30, 2023
Wozniacki, along with her husband, David Lee, welcomed their first child, Olivia, in June 2021. The couple introduced a fourth member to the family when their son, James, was born in October 2022. The former world No.1 did not spend much time in the first round at Melbourne as her opponent, Magda Linette, retired at the beginning of the first set due to an injury.
Victoria Azarenka
The 2024 season began with Victoria Azarenka winning her 600th match on tour. She defeated Clara Burel in the fourth round of Brisbane International to achieve a historic victory. Azarenka’s son Leo is now seven years old. The Belarusian gave birth to Leo in December 2016 and was back on tour in June 2017. Azarenka reached the fourth round at Wimbledon a week after her first event.
The 34-year-old had won the Australian Open in 2012 and, a year later, successfully defended her title. In the 2023 season, Azarenka reached the semifinals in Melbourne and lost in the fourth round at Wimbledon. She will be up against Camila Giorgi in the first round at Melbourne. Azarenka is three wins away from securing 50 victories at the Australian Open.
Tatjana Maria
The second oldest player in the women’s draw at the 2024 Australian Open is Tatjana Maria. The 36-year-old has two daughters with her husband, Charles-Edouard Maria. She had her first child, Charlotte, in December 2013 and her second child, Cecilia, in April 2021. Maria had made her grand slam debut in 2007 but reached the semifinals for the first time in 2022 at Wimbledon.
The German player made changes to her playing style after having her first child. Maria was initially a two-handed backhand player and has now switched to a one-handed backhand. She defeated Camila Osorio in the opening round of the 2024 Australian Open and now faces Jasmine Paolini in the second round. Maria is also playing doubles with Arantxa Rus.
Taylor Townsend
Taylor Townsend has been playing on the WTA tour for over a decade now. She has been making progress in singles and doubles lately. Townsend has played 711 matches on the tour and has the same energy on the court as a teenager. The 27-year-old has a huge forehand and performs unique celebrations on the court. She is playing at her 25th grand slam in Melbourne.
Townsend gave birth to her son, Adyn, in April 2021. Her road to recovery got tougher as it was a C-section. Townsend took a one-year hiatus from the sport before returning in April 2022. She is playing singles and doubles at the 2024 Australian Open. Townsend lost to Paula Badosa in the singles opening round match and has partnered with Beatriz Haddad Maia in doubles.
Yanina Wickmayer
Yanina Wickmayer is playing at the Australian Open for the first time since 2017. She had announced her pregnancy at the end of the 2020 season. Wickmayer became a mother on April 15, 2021, and shared the news on Instagram. She named her daughter Luana and embraced a new chapter in her life. Wickmayer did not play a match in the 2021 season and made a comeback in February 2022.
The Belgian player faced Varvara Gracheva in the opening round of this year’s Australian Open. Wickmayer lost in straight sets as her 92nd grand slam match ended early. She has partnered up with Greet Minnen in doubles, and the pair will play their first match on January 17. Wickmayer will hope to inspire her doubles partner at Melbourne.